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Joel Mintz could take Torchwood.
Stuff I actually like about "Tigers"
Mar. 4th, 2005 10:51 amThe Doctor's dual nature. The way this is reflected in Karl. The Doctor's not being able to fit in anywhere. Sexeh Karl. Actual SF. Cute cat stuff.
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Mar. 2nd, 2005 02:49 pmFinished re-reading Tigers. It improves markedly towards the end, especially in the final section, which is actually pretty decently plotted. There's still too much repetition; for example, Anji's clever theory about the Tigers - really her only contribution in the end - has already been proposed by the Doctor earlier on. But I think the book's main problems are its slow start and muddled middle, and the weak character of Besma. Anji also should have had more to do, and (as I've said before) more research ought to have gone into her background - some small nods towards her ethnicity would've been a nice touch.
More Tigers
Feb. 1st, 2005 08:29 pmI read chapter five. Now, why is the Doctor's attempt to parlay with the Tigers at the spaceport the crucial moment? Because of the threat the humans holding the 'port now pose - but this isn't made clear, either to the humans or the reader.
I still love the bit where the Doctor pisses off in to the Bewilderness. I think it needs to be explained better, either at that moment, or later: he's tried forging a peace from the human side of things, now he's going to try from the Tigers' side, leaving his companions in the city both for their safety and to prevent Quick from really screwing up. He's profoundly hurt because he doesn't fit in - not with Karl in the orchestra, or with Quick in the Movement. Later, he discovers he doesn't fit into the Tigers' world either. He's also in a profoundly bad mood, which I hugely enjoyed writing. The anti-Smurf.
I still love the bit where the Doctor pisses off in to the Bewilderness. I think it needs to be explained better, either at that moment, or later: he's tried forging a peace from the human side of things, now he's going to try from the Tigers' side, leaving his companions in the city both for their safety and to prevent Quick from really screwing up. He's profoundly hurt because he doesn't fit in - not with Karl in the orchestra, or with Quick in the Movement. Later, he discovers he doesn't fit into the Tigers' world either. He's also in a profoundly bad mood, which I hugely enjoyed writing. The anti-Smurf.
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Jan. 14th, 2005 09:23 ambtw, don't worry that my whole "that's an ill phrase, a vile phrase" thing about Tigers is a sign of authorial self-hatred. I'm finding it very educational to give the book a really ruthless going over. The ghastly truth, Mr Data, is that I'm very confident about and comfy with my writing.
I think something Jon said holds a lot of truth: you can tell that what I'm really interested in is the Doctor/Karl thing, and the actual story of the book keeps getting in the way of that. Perhaps what I really needed to do was somehow write a whole book about *that*, turn that into a full-length adventure story, instead of just pasting in a stock Doctor Who plot yay. That's a useful lesson.
I think something Jon said holds a lot of truth: you can tell that what I'm really interested in is the Doctor/Karl thing, and the actual story of the book keeps getting in the way of that. Perhaps what I really needed to do was somehow write a whole book about *that*, turn that into a full-length adventure story, instead of just pasting in a stock Doctor Who plot yay. That's a useful lesson.
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Jan. 12th, 2005 07:16 pm... still surprised that fans, on the whole, think Karl was in wuv with the Doctor but the Doctor didn't reciprocate. This is not unreasonable in light of canon, but, oh me oh my, I must be more subtle than I thought.
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Jan. 12th, 2005 07:07 pm... not quite so impressed with The Year of Intelligent Tigers, which I'm re-reading out of curiosity. Why must every single thing start in medias res? Because the writer never plans anything properly, she just sits down and starts typing, and has to constantly flashback to explain things. It might very likely be more effective to start with Anji's tiger encounter, and show her increasingly distressed and confused state. Mind you, her very panic is a bit unconvincing - once she had escaped, wouldn't she become less bewildered and upset, not more?
Moreover, people's clothes keep mysteriously changing, and other details don't add up: if the Doctor can't improvise, what is he doing on the violin when he gets carried away? Why are they in Karl's flat in the next scene? (Various answers suggest themselves, but the point is that they're not in the text.) Mentioning Besma's "little pets" before we meet one undercuts the surprise, and means we end up with two explanations. If there was time to properly rewrite the books, these sorts of bugs could be fixed in post, but there isn't, so the only way to avoid them is planning and attention.
Moreover, people's clothes keep mysteriously changing, and other details don't add up: if the Doctor can't improvise, what is he doing on the violin when he gets carried away? Why are they in Karl's flat in the next scene? (Various answers suggest themselves, but the point is that they're not in the text.) Mentioning Besma's "little pets" before we meet one undercuts the surprise, and means we end up with two explanations. If there was time to properly rewrite the books, these sorts of bugs could be fixed in post, but there isn't, so the only way to avoid them is planning and attention.
(no subject)
Sep. 4th, 2004 10:00 pmThe outline for Godfather Death, previously Deaths Unaccountable / Double Hendrix, is away. Two down, two to go. Next up: rejigging the outline for Wayfarer (Eighth Doctor / Fitz / Anji). Hopefully without any more fistfights.
